
Tips & Tricks
7 min readPDFHubs vs iLovePDF vs Smallpdf - 2026 Comparison
PDFHubs Team
January 7, 2026
Detailed comparison of the top free PDF tools. See which PDF editor offers the best features, limits, and pricing.
Choosing the Best Free PDF Tool
Three popular PDF tools compared: PDFHubs, iLovePDF, and Smallpdf. Which is right for you?
Quick Comparison
| Feature | PDFHubs | iLovePDF | Smallpdf |
| Pricing | 100% Free | Freemium | Freemium |
| Free Limits | None | Limited | 2 tasks/day |
| Registration | Not required | Required for full | Required |
| Watermarks | Never | On free tier | On free tier |
| Tool Count | 19+ | 25+ | 20+ |
| Processing | Browser (secure) | Server | Server |
PDFHubs Advantages
100% Free - No Catch
- •No daily limits
- •No watermarks
- •No registration required
- •All features available free
Privacy-Focused
- •Files never uploaded to servers
- •All processing happens in browser
- •Maximum security and privacy
Fast and Reliable
- •No waiting for server processing
- •Instant results
- •Works offline once loaded
iLovePDF Overview
Pros
- •Large selection of tools
- •Good conversion quality
- •Batch processing
Cons
- •Requires registration for most features
- •Limited free tier
- •Uploads files to servers
- •Premium: €7/month
Smallpdf Overview
Pros
- •Clean interface
- •Good quality output
- •Some unique tools
Cons
- •Only 2 free tasks per day
- •Adds watermarks on free tier
- •Premium: $12/month
- •Uploads files to servers
Feature-by-Feature Comparison
PDF Merge
| PDFHubs | iLovePDF | Smallpdf |
| Free limit | None | Limited | 2/day |
| Max files | 20 | 25 | 20 |
| Quality | Excellent | Excellent | Excellent |
PDF Compress
| PDFHubs | iLovePDF | Smallpdf |
| Free limit | None | Limited | 2/day |
| Compression | Up to 90% | Up to 75% | Up to 75% |
| Quality options | 3 levels | 3 levels | 1 level |
PDF to Word
| PDFHubs | iLovePDF | Smallpdf |
| Free limit | None | 1/hour | 2/day |
| OCR support | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Accuracy | Excellent | Good | Good |
Who Should Use Each Tool?
Use PDFHubs If:
- •You want truly free, unlimited PDF tools
- •Privacy is important to you
- •You need frequent PDF tasks
Use iLovePDF If:
- •You don't mind registration
- •You need batch processing features
- •You're okay with occasional limits
Use Smallpdf If:
- •You only need occasional PDF tasks (1-2/day)
- •You're willing to pay for premium
- •You prefer their specific interface
Conclusion
For most users, PDFHubs offers the best combination:
- ✅Truly free (no limits, no watermarks)
- ✅Maximum privacy (browser-based)
- ✅All essential tools included
- ✅No registration required
Tags:
PDFHubs vs iLovePDF
PDFHubs vs Smallpdf
PDF tool comparison
best PDF tool
free PDF tools
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